Modern motor vehicles typically employ various occupant protection systems that actuate from an undeployed to a deployed state without the need for intervention by the occupant. Such systems often include an inflatable occupant protection system in the form of a cushion or bag, commonly referred to as an “airbag cushion,” which is now a legal requirement for many new vehicles in numerous countries. Such airbag cushions are typically installed in various locations in a vehicle and may deploy into one or more locations within the vehicle between the occupant and certain parts of the vehicle interior, such as the doors, steering wheel, instrument panel, dashboard or the like, to prevent or cushion the occupant from forcibly striking such parts of the vehicle interior.
The airbag cushion is conventionally housed in an uninflated and folded condition to minimize space requirements. In the event of an accident, an accelerometer within the vehicle measures the abnormal deceleration and triggers the expulsion of rapidly expanding gases supplied or produced by a device commonly referred to as an “inflator.” The expanding gases fill the airbags, which immediately inflate in front of the driver and/or passenger to provide protection from impact against a windshield, dashboard, or other surfaces of the vehicle interior.
Typically, the cushion and inflator are stowed within a housing and positioned behind some type of cover within the vehicle. The cover typically couples to the housing and protects the cushion and inflator from tampering and provides a relatively attractive facade to match the remainder of the vehicle interior. Tear seams formed by stitched openings or thin material sections in the cover may be employed to cause the cover to open in a predictable manner when the cushion inflates.
In some instances, forces between the cover and the housing during deployment may cause one or more portions of the housing to crack or even break free. Such cracks can weaken the housing during deployments, and fragments may potentially become dangerous projectiles having the capability to cause injuries to passengers of the motor vehicle. Therefore, it is desirable to inhibit such cracking and/or breaking of the housing during deployment.